February 17. 1906 



HOKT1CUL.TURL 



193 



SEED TRADE TOPICS 



TEST OF 1905 SEED NOVELTIES. 



Translated by G. B. 



The Society tor Promotion of Horti- 

 culture in Prussia publishes their an- 

 nual 1905 report of culture-tests of 

 novelties in this month's issue of 

 "Gartenflora." The report is very in- 

 teresting, because the plants reported 

 on are figuring conspicuously in the 

 novelty pages of 1906 catalogues of 

 seed firms, it affords for intending buy- 

 ers an entirely disinterested judgment 

 of their value. We give an exact 

 translation of the report without com- 

 ment. 



Flowering Plants. 



Centaurea tuperialis gigantea. The 

 plants grew above three feet high, had 

 long stems, which produced white flow- 

 ers, not quite as large as in Centaurea 

 Marguaritae, which they most re- 

 semble, and which we took them at 

 first to be. The pleasant odor of the 

 flower deserves special mention. 



Reseda odorata grandifl Victor a 

 perfecta. This is an improved form 

 of the Victoria mignonette. We can 

 justly say that the blooms are much 

 more intensively red, or better brown. 

 In habit they are like the old form; 

 but the variety does not come alto- 

 gether true, as there are many or- 

 dinary Victoria among the seedlings; 

 otherwise good. 



Dianthus laciniatus mirabilis. Like 

 most of the garden pinks the plant is 

 one foot high; very small leaves, flow- 

 ers three inches across and much more 

 divided than the ordinary laciniatus, 

 in aspect almost like a spider web; 

 very soft shades of color very grace- 

 ful as cut flowers and as grouping 

 plants. 



Winter Stork Queen Alexandra. 

 (Perhaps the same as "Queen of Alex- 

 andria," mentioned in some cata- 

 logues. — Note of translator.) This is 

 a very early variety, 80 per cent, 

 double; flowers about July; a seedling 

 from last year's beautiful novelty 

 Beauty of Nice; color of flowers lilac- 

 rose; stems 11-2 feet high, good for 

 field culture. 



Tagetes patula nana parvifl. fl. pi. 

 Liliput. These marigolds are advan- 

 tageously grown in shaded places, 

 where they will thrive and flower well. 

 In the public gardens of Berlin and 

 Potsdam they have been used exten- 

 sively. 



Phlox Drum. gr. fi. nana compct. 

 "Cacilien Phlox." Dwarf summer 

 phlox remarkable for the many blue 

 colors in the seedlings; to be recom- 

 mended. 



Silene pendula "Elfride." A novelty 

 with lilac flowers, which color is new 

 among the silenes; the foliage is yel- 

 low, but not a pleasant contrast; the 

 seed should be sown about Christmas, 

 the plants later on to be put in cold 

 frames. 



Dahlia variabilis "Lucifer." A 

 single dahlia, which comes true from 

 seeds; flowers about 2 inches across, 

 dark scarlet; foliage dark red; good 

 for decorative foliage groups. 



"Colossal." Very large flowering, 

 single dahlia, flowers erect, all colors. 



Dutch Giant Dahlias. "Herzog 

 Hein," crimson-red. "Glory of Baarn," 

 rose violet; half filled. "Hollandia," 

 soft violet, well-filled and of noble 

 form, good cropper. "Paul Kruger," 



light rose, dark striped. "Dr. K. \V. 

 v. Gorken," light rose, very large, hah 

 filled. "Germane," carmine-red, ligh 

 ly filled. 



Cactus Dahlia. "Fire-ray." Weil 

 named; good cropper. 



Impatiens Holstii. The plants grow 

 to be 1 1-4 ft. high, and part of them 

 to that circumference; color, brilliant 

 vermilion red; always three to four 

 flowers on the tips of the branches, 

 each flower being about 1 1-4 inches 

 in diameter; better grower than I. 

 Sultani. 



Schizanthus hybridus gr. fl. Sup- 

 posed to be a better hybrid of the old 

 form; we, however, couldn't possibly 

 find any difference; crop matured 

 quickly, but succumbed to first cold 

 rains; it seems the plant will not 

 stand manuring. 



Cheiranthus incanus nanus comp. 

 alba. Made little compact globulous 

 bushes 1 ft. high; as late as Sept. 1.; 

 first flowers, however, all double; 

 seems to want a different culture from 

 the ordinary winter stocks. 



Linaria cymbalaria compct. alba. 

 Another creeping plant that in this 

 variety has acquired a globulous habit; 

 about 1 ft. high; the small white io- 

 belia-like flowers standing directly- 

 above foliage; best for carpet bedding. 



Linaria c. globosa. Similar to above, 

 but lilac color. 



Polygonum oxyphyllum. Strong 

 growing perennial 2 1-2 ft. high, 

 leaves gray-green; did not flower. 



Aster perennis hybr. Snowflake. 

 Two ft. high perennial fall aster 

 first flowers impure violet; later 

 white; not bad. 



Aster perennis hybr. Townshendi. 

 Strong growing perennial; did not 

 flower. 



Aster Hohenzollern; glossy salmon 

 rose, A new color of this aster, good 

 for cut flowers; color true to name. 



Aster Gitania. Intended to become 

 a new strain, almost 2 ft. high; flowers 

 8 inches across; character like Comet 

 asters; colors rose, light blue and 

 white; for large vases; not bad. 



Rekord Aster, hortensian-rose. 

 Needle-like flowers, but in size beaten 

 by Gitania; color doubtful; not a fa- 

 vorite with us. 



Rekord Aster, lilac. Same as above, 

 lilac. 



Heliotropum hybr. gr. fl. Cyklop. 

 One and one-half to 2 1-2 ft. high; flower 

 clusters 12 inches across and more; 

 very fragrant; color lilac, light and 

 dark blue; an excellent novelty; sure- 

 ly the largest flowering H. of its time; 

 good for large grouping beds. 



Physostegia virginiana gr. fl. alba. 

 A pretty white labiatae for cut flower 

 uses. 



Echinacea Helianthus. If true to 

 name should produce red sunflowers. 

 Did not flower with us; report later. 



Nicotiana Sanderae. N. affinis x N. 

 Forgetiana; with us germination of 

 seeds did not take place at all. 



Gypsophila elegans gr. fi. "Covent 

 Garden." Flowers larger than in 

 known variety; otherwise no differ- 

 ence. 



To be Continued. 



NATIONAL CANNERS' ASSOCIA- 

 TION. 



The annual convention of the Na- 

 tional Cahners' Association opened at 

 Atlantic City, N. Y.. Dec. 14. About 

 700 delegates representing the chief 

 firms in this important industry from 

 all parts of the United States were 

 present besides a representative ele- 

 ment of the wholesale seed trade and 

 quite a number of seed growers. 

 Headquarters were at Hotel Rudolph 

 and thi- exhibition of machinery, etc., 

 was tastefully decorated for the occa- 

 sion. So well pleased were the visit- 

 ors with this resort as a convention 

 point that it is likely the future con- 

 ventions will be held at the same 

 place. There was little activity in 

 the bean market. Peas were in some 

 little demand, Alaska Admiral, Ad- 

 vancer and Surprise being the princi- 

 pal varieties inquired for. Bookings 

 for crop of 1907 were liberal and most 

 of the growers and wholesalers did 

 considerable business. 



Among the seedsmen present were 

 W. H. Grennell, A. L. Rogers, Jerome 

 B. Rice, Robert Livingston, W. C. 

 Langbridge, W. H. Buckbee, J. Bol- 

 giano, Mr. Pease and Mr. Bradstreet 

 of the Cleveland Seed Co.. C. N. 

 Keeney, O. F. Leonard, Arthur Clark 

 and brother, Watson, Woodruff, Mc- 

 Morran and Grey, the Canadian pea 

 growers, Mr. Parmelee of the Jno. H. 

 Allen Seed Co.. W. A. Dennison. 

 Frank S. Piatt. W. Atlee Burpee and 

 Howard Earl. 



D. M. Ferry & Co., report a busy sea- 

 son, 3,000 bushels of peas to one firm 

 being among their large orders. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 

 Frantz de Laet, Contich, Belgium. 

 Catalogue of cacti and other special- 

 ties. 



Chicago Carnation Company, Joliet, 

 111. Price list of new and standard 

 carnations for 1906. 



George W. P. Jerrard Co., Caribou, 

 Me. 1906 catalogue of seed potatoes, 

 early corn and seeds. 



Burpee's 1906 Wholesale Seed Prices 

 for Market Gardeners and Florists. 

 W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia. 



Thomas J. Grey & Co., Boston, 

 Mass. Seed Catalogue for 1906. Lists 

 also trees, garden plants and imple- 

 ments. 



Rosedale Nurseries, S. G. Harris, 

 Prop., Tarrytown, N. Y. — Supplement 

 ueral catalogue of plants, shrubs, 

 roses and trees. 



F. E. Conine Nursery Co., Stratford, 

 Conn. Spring and Fall, 1906, Cata- 

 logue. A well printed, illustrated list 

 of choice nursery stock. 



"A Little Green Book for the Gar- 

 den." A cute little pocket catalogue 

 I for 1906 by Henry Saxton 

 Adams, Jamaica Plain, Mass. 



Hammond's Slug Shot Works, Fish- 

 kill-on-Hudson, N. Y. Pamphlet of 

 Horicum, the San Jose Scale Killer, 

 Thrip Juice.and other insect remedies. 



Griffith & Turner Company, Balti- 

 more, Md. Catalogue No. 19 of Farm 

 and Garden Supplies. A very com- 

 plete list, especially of machinery and 

 farming implements. 



Thirtieth Anniversary Supplement, 

 including prize awards of 1905 — and 

 the story of "Seeds That Grow." With 



